


Lumpia

by Wreybies



Category: Another Life (TV 2019)
Genre: Bears, Canon Non-Binary Character, Fluff, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Genderfluid Character, LATINOS IN SPACE, M/M, Making Food, Pre-Canon, enby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 09:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20703566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wreybies/pseuds/Wreybies
Summary: Pre-canon, fluff-o-matic short piece concerning how the Zayn/Bernie story begins in the kitchen.





	Lumpia

“You made egg rolls?” Michelle commented as she entered the Salvare's dining area.

“Actually, no,” replied Bernie enigmatically.

“Then what the fuck are those?” Michelle asked snidely. “Never mind that. How did you get permission to fry something in oil while we’re under way? What if the gravity had given out while you were making those, _pendejo_?”

“_No hay que ser tan mordaz_, okay? Nothing happened. You wanna’ eat or what?” Bernie retorted.

“Those look kinda’ funny for egg rolls,” she said, peering over the serving tray.

“Because they’re not egg rolls!”

“And I suppose that’s not chow mein?” She gestured to the large bowl with noodles and vegetables.

“Nope.”

“Dude, what the fuck…?” But she let it go, taking a seat, the smell of the food having overcome her.

Ian was next to follow the smell of food into the dining area. He eyed the presentation appreciatively then frowned.

“You fried food in a space ship. Are you trying to kill yourself?” Ian said.

“Nothing happened!” Bernie growled with exasperation.

“Egg rolls?” Ian asked.

“Apparently not,” said Michelle.

Ian eyed her curiously.

“Hey, do I smell…” Zayn entered and stopped at the table, momentarily speechless. “Is that…?”

Bernie smiled from ear to ear.

“_Lumpia_,” whispered Zayn.

“Bingo!” replied Bernie. He gestured with his chin at the other bowl.

“No,” said Zayn, incredulous. “_Bihon pancit_?”

“Yep!” Bernie was about to wriggle out of his skin with satisfaction. The look on Zayn’s face was everything he’d hoped for.

“Looks like egg rolls and chow mien to me,” repeated Michelle.

“_Mira, no sea tan parcelera_. I made lumpia and pancit for Zayn. You guys were all complaining that it’s the same food all the time, so I busted out the recipe files. Both of these were on the list of things not to make while in flight, but I remembered that Zayn is from the Philippines so I was like, _fuck that_, I want something different too. If you guys don’t want it, I’ll just take it back to my room. You wanna’ split it with me, Zayn?”

“I want to eat. It smells wonderful, Bernie.” There was a pause wherein Zayn waited to get Bernie’s undivided attention, then earnestly said, “Thank you. This was very thoughtful of you.”

“See?” Bernie said to Michelle. “Thoughtful. And you over here _quejandote sin razón_.”

Michelle gave her most sour _whatever_ face and turned to Zayn. “Cooking for you and everything, huh? Zayn has a boyfriend, _la-la-la, la-la, la-la,_” she sang childishly.

Bernie spared a glance in Zayn’s direction catching hir looking at him sidelong, a smile on hir lips as ze chewed the lumpia.

Warm happiness spread from Bernie’s belly all through his body.

“Next time make _tostones_,” said Michelle, though she was digging into the pancit with gusto.

“If I could get my hands on a _platano_, trust me, I would never let go,” Bernie replied.

Michelle nearly choked on a mouthful of food. Bernie went red realizing the double entendre.

Zayn just smiled and took another lumpia.

**Author's Note:**

> _Lumpia_ (loom-pea-ah) looks a lot like egg rolls, but the wrappers are different and so are the flavorings. It’s a little more to the Thai spectrum of flavors with coconut and chili as common ingredients.
> 
> _Bihon Pancit_ (bee-hon pan-sit) is another traditional Filipino dish that does resemble chow mien. Again, the difference is the kind of noodles (fine rice noodles) and the spices used.
> 
> Translations:
> 
> _No hay que ser tan mordaz_ = You don’t have to be so snide  
_Mira, no sea tan parcelera_ = Hey, don’t be such a hick  
_… quejandote sin razón_ = ... complaining for no reason  
_tostones_ = fried and flattened plantain wedges (common side dish in Caribbean cuisine)  
_platano_ = Plantain. The joke here is that plantains are often used to make dick jokes.


End file.
